Vicką Versele analyzed the body composition, physical activity and sitting behavior of 114 couples at the beginning of pregnancy. In addition, she looked at the weight evolution of mom during pregnancy and the growth curves of their first child from birth. " Our focus on the influence of moms and dads on their baby’s weight is unique," Versele said. "We know that the mom’s lifestyle has an impact on the baby. However, most studies focus on women and pay little attention to the impact of the dad.
The study reveals surprising connections:
- Daughters of dads in the group with the highest sitting behavior have a higher weight curve than daughters of dads who exhibit less daily sitting behavior.
- When the mom gains more weight during pregnancy , the weight curve of their daughters is higher during the first year of life.
- When mothers exercise more at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, their daughters have a lower weight curve during the first year of life.
- No associations were found between parental characteristics and the boys’ weight curves, nor for the height curves of all infants.
"Weight, like height, gives an indication of children’s health. We now know that the lifestyle of both parents has an impact on the weight curve of girls during the first year of life. A higher weight curve could potentially result in a higher risk of developing overweight or obesity in later life. The explanations for the results are still guesswork. "Possibly there is an epigenetic influence, meaning that environmental factors and the lifestyle of the parents influence the expression of genes. We know from research that what dads eat and how much they exercise can change the epigenome of the sperm cell, for example."
To prevent an unhealthy lifestyle from being passed down through generations, health interventions are best focused on both parents. "The results emphasize the need for health interventions that focus on more physical activity and less sedentary behavior that also involve dads," says Versele. "Reaching both parents with health programs is crucial, especially considering that dads can also encourage their partners to exercise more."
Health interventions are also best started early in pregnancy and ideally before conception.
ABOUT TRANSPARENCIES
TRANSPARENTS is a study of changes in body composition and lifestyle in couples having their first child, from preconception to one year postpartum. The study contributes to a better understanding of the life stage of having a first child. An understanding of this critical period when people are at risk of gaining weight or exhibiting unhealthy changes in energy balance related behaviors may help in the development of programs and the prevention of negative lifestyle changes.
TRANSPARENTS consists of a team of researchers from VUB (research group MOVE) and KU Leuven (research group REALIFE).
follow us on twitter @VUBrussels
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is an internationally oriented university located in Brussels, the heart of Europe. By delivering high quality research and customised education, the VUB wants to make an active and committed contribution to a better society.
The World Needs You
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel takes its scientific and social responsibility with love and vigor. Therefore the VUB launched the platform -The World Needs You-. Here ideas, actions and projects are brought together, started and developed around six P’s. The first P stands for People. The first P stands for People, because that’s what it’s all about: giving people equal opportunities, prosperity, well-being and respect. Peace stands for fighting small and large injustices in the world. Prosperity deals with poverty and inequality. Planet stands for actions on biodiversity, climate, air quality, animal rights, etc. With Partnership the VUB is looking for collaborations to make the world a better place. The sixth and last P is for Poincaré, the French philosopher Henri Poincaré from whom the VUB derives its slogan that thinking may not submit to anything except the facts themselves. The VUB is an ’urban engaged university’, strongly anchored in Brussels and Europe and working according to the principles of free research. www.vub.be/dewereldheeftjenodig
